COVINGTON -- The Covington Police Department charged a man with felony theft by shoplifting after a background check showed that he had been convicted of shoplifting 10 times previously.

The CPD was called to The Shoe Department in Newton Plaza Sunday afternoon after the suspect, identified as Christopher David Hurst, 43, of 2116 Hendrix St., allegedly took a pair of tennis shoes and ran across the parking lot.

According to the incident report, a store employee saw Hurst throw down the tennis shoes in the parking lot and continue toward Pace Street.

An officer made contact with Hurst on Marie Street, according to the report, and the suspect reportedly looked at the CPD patrol car "as if surrendering."

According to the report, the suspect told the officer, "They thought I was shoplifting up there."

Hurst, who was reportedly wearing a blue jacket at the time of the shoplifting, was wearing all black when the officer apprehended him. The suspect reportedly asked the officer to get his blue jacket and an umbrella from beside a bush were he had put them.

The store employee identified Hurst as the suspect in the shoplifting.

The shoes, a pair of New Balance tennis shoes valued at $49.98, were recovered from the parking lot.

Hurst, who also had an outstanding shoplifting warrant from Newton County under the alias Christopher Rakestraw, was taken to the Newton County Detention Center.